Biology in Patients With Reflux Esophagitis and Mucosal Impedance

GERD is a common condition in the western world. In most cases, the diagnostic is established by good response to empiric proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy. When the patient symptoms are refractory to therapy, multiple invasive tests are available. The results of those tests (EGD, manometry, Ph monitoring and impedance) are clues that the physician use together to establish the diagnostic. No test however can be use alone because of their poor specificity and sensitivity. Recently, microscopy has been used to detect dilated intercellular space in between distal esophageal cells tissue; unfortunately this marker again failed to diagnose GERD.

In search of more sensitive and specific markers of GERD, we propose to assess if acid exposure affects: 1) gene and proteins expression in the esophageal/post-cricoid area tissue; and 2) local impedance of the mucosa. The secondary aim of this proposal is to determine if correlation exists between the two approaches.